Chapter 416 The Festive Atmosphere
Nathaniel said, "Get in the car."
The family got into the car and played some cheerful music.
Nathaniel first drove to the supermarket near their home to buy vegetables and meat.
This time, they didn't bring the caregiver along, like they did in Coral Bay, so they had to cook for themselves.
Reed said he didn't need anyone to take care of him and that he could cook for himself, but the look of satisfaction on his face when he saw Nathaniel bringing out a bowl of noodles from the kitchen in an apron in the morning was undeniable.
Nathaniel took advantage of these few days before getting completely busy to spend time with his family.
When the family of four arrived at the door with large bags, Reed was wearing an apron and washing vegetables. He hadn't been in the kitchen for many years; the last time he cooked was probably when his wife was still alive.
Usually, he was taken care of by a group of servants like a useless person, so having the chance to cook for himself felt quite refreshing.
Reed opened the door and saw the neatly arranged family of four standing outside, and his mood couldn't have been better.
"Great-grandpa!" The two children squeezed past their parents and ran up to greet him.
Reed looked at the two adorable little ones and really wanted to pinch their chubby arms, but his hands were wet from washing vegetables.
"Oh, our two little darlings are here. Did you miss Great-grandpa?"
Dorothy said, "Yes, Great-grandpa."
Jacob replied, "Yes!"
Nathaniel raised an eyebrow, realizing that Jacob's aloof demeanor was reserved only for him, while he expressed his feelings directly to his great-grandfather.
After entering the house, Nathaniel changed his shoes and noticed there were no slippers for Aurelia. "Wait a moment, I'll go upstairs and get you some shoes."
Nathaniel took a few steps out the door, then turned back and said, "Why don't you come with me?"
Reed smirked behind them, thinking, 'Does he really need to bring Aurelia along just to get some shoes? Is he afraid she'll get lost?'
Aurelia put down her things and followed him upstairs. The pair of bunny slippers she wore yesterday were still by the entrance, not put away.
It gave the impression that the lady of the house would be back to wear them any moment.
Aurelia kicked off her high heels and put on the cute slippers, casually teasing, "Didn't expect you to have such good taste; these slippers are quite nice."
Nathaniel thought to himself, 'Did you forget the shoe cabinet at the Bloom Villa? Every pair of slippers, regardless of the season, has a bunny design.'
If he didn't have this level of observation, how could he be a CEO?
He said, "Let's go, Grandpa is waiting for us."
The two of them went back downstairs.
Before coming, Nathaniel had called his grandfather to ask if Marcus was home. Knowing that Marcus was away for treatment, he felt comfortable bringing Aurelia and the two kids over.
Reed and the two kids hit it off immediately and had a great time.
Nathaniel and Aurelia took the initiative to cook in the kitchen.
As Northerners, they had a tradition of baking special bread on good days like holidays, and Reed loved it too.
The couple teamed up in the kitchen, and Jacob and Dorothy also volunteered to help with the bread-making. Reed joined in as well.
The kitchen instantly became lively.
Reed smiled warmly, feeling a festive atmosphere.
The family sat together, chatting and baking, a scene that hadn't happened in decades. Back then, his business hadn't taken off yet, and the family wasn't wealthy.
He had just started in the jewelry business, doing small trades to support his sons, Matthew and Marcus. Although they weren't as rich as they are now and sometimes had tight finances, it was the time he cherished the most.
He started thinking about his late wife again.
Cathy was only in her fifties when she passed away. At that time, he was too focused on his business empire to pay attention to her health until the doctor handed him the diagnosis: late-stage lung cancer.
That moment was truly despairing.
The doctor said her illness was terminal.
From diagnosis to her passing, it was only four months.
Even with today's advanced medicine, some diseases remained incurable. From that moment, he fell into endless regret, thinking that if he had spent more time with his family and not let his wife exhaust herself taking care of their two sons, the outcome might have been different.
If he had supervised her regular check-ups, it wouldn't have ended this way.
Now, he deeply blamed himself again.
He hadn't taken good care of his children. His youngest son had been in poor health since childhood, and his wife had been most worried about Marcus when she passed away. She had repeatedly asked him to pay more attention to the family and take good care of the children.
Reed knew he hadn't taken good care of Marcus or understood his private life, letting him live abroad alone for years, leading to his current bipolar disorder.
Reed placed the prepared bread into the oven and said, "Aurelia, I apologize on behalf of Marcus. He offended you, and that was wrong. But I won't lie to you; he is really sick. I don't ask for your forgiveness for his absurd actions, just hope you won't take it out on Nathaniel. He wants to cut ties with Marcus now."
Aurelia didn't expect Reed to bring this up. Marcus was Marcus; she wouldn't blame others for it. "Grandpa, I won't."
Nathaniel, who was mentioned, silently kneaded the dough without speaking, but the smile on his face grew wider.
Aurelia didn't blame him, and his grandpa seemed to be helping him win her over. What man wouldn't be happy? He felt completely at ease.
Reed said with relief, "Marcus is undergoing treatment. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him and won't let him bother you again. If it happens again, I will lock him up."
Nathaniel took over the conversation, "Grandpa, this illness is hard to treat and might take some time."
Reed was mentally prepared. When he received Marcus's medical records from the psychiatric clinic, he had already researched the illness thoroughly.
He would spend all his energy accompanying his son through this, striving to overcome all difficulties and pull him out of his pathological world.
No matter how hard, it had to be treated.
Reed said, "I know."
Seeing Reed's expression, Nathaniel knew his grandpa was fully prepared.
At that moment, Nathaniel's phone rang. It was an international number. He stood up, grabbed a tissue to wipe his hands, and went to the living room to answer the call.
"Mr. Heilbronn, we've obtained Burry's personal items. I bribed the cleaner at the hotel where she and Alex stayed. We have a disposable toothbrush and some long hairs. I'll send them back to you; the delivery might take about two weeks."
Nathaniel responded, "Anything else?"
The person on the other end replied, "Yes!"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
